NKEM 12
He stood up abruptly as though prompted by an invincible force. The recent events these past few days have had a heavy toll on him. His sleep is erratic and interspersed with bouts of headache and feverish feeling. He took his sandals from under the bed and drummed out of the house.
As he came out of the door, his mother was by the side of the door sorting melon seeds, he mumbled something that sounded like a greeting or where he was going. He had taken few steps when heard his name. It was very loud. Perhaps his mother must have been calling him severally but his mind had transported to another place. He stopped and turned reluctantly.
"Where is it that you are going?" She asked, blocking the ray of the midday sun from entering her eyes.
"To see Gladys", he said, mad that his mother could ask him that.
"And you think that is a good idea?".
What good was his staying at home do when the love of his life is in the hospital because of him.
"I need to go", he shouted and marched ahead.
"What will Adora eat or have you forgotten you now have a new responsibility?".
He had even forgotten about her. The girl's mother had brought her the same day to their house. She said she was not going to take care of her daughter and the pregnancy while the man responsible is still breathing.
He gave no response but waved his mother away. It was best he took the thought of Adora out of his mind for the time being. Gladys was his life and now it seems she is slipping out of his grip.
He wondered what he was going to meet at the hospital. If Gladys' mother was at the hospital, then, it would be difficult for him to see her. He couldn't blame the poor woman but himself. If he had controlled his libido, he wouldn't have created a mess for himself. He wouldn't have caused so many people a lot of pain. He has already lost face with the people who hold him in high regard. He noticed as he walked on, most of them pretended not to have seen him. Some who were bold enough spat in his direction to register their disgust before hissing and walking away.
At the road where the accident happened someone from the bush came out and called his name. He stopped and went back to meet a dwarfish old woman who is agile for her age. It was the mother of one of his band boys.
"Nno", he greeted, avoiding the piercing stare of the old woman.
She grunted a response but it was clear she was preparing a sermon for the wayward young man before her.
"You boys of nowadays' ', she began, deliberately stressing the word 'boys'. What else were you looking for? You have a good girl for a woman and then you went after that dirty thing. Are you trying to be like your father?
He turned sharply at her.
What do you know about my father? What right do you have to talk about him? He thought within himself.
"I know that look. I have seen it before. But it won't stop me from telling you the truth. I know your father before he died and I know what he did to Gladys mother. It is not anything hidden, the whole village know about it?
"What did he do?", he asked, his anger rising.
"Exactly what you did!
"What!"
"Yes! Your father impregnated your mother when Gladys' mother whom he was engaged to marry went to bury her late mother.
"I didn't know that?" Could that be the reason Gladys' mother hates me so much?
"Now you know!".
He shook his head and felt bad that he had hurt Gladys so much. How was he to face her? The old woman broke into his thoughts.
"Where are you going now?"
"To see Gladys at the hospital".
"And you think that is a good idea with her mother there?"
"I can't stay and do nothing. I need to see her and apologize. I need to know how the pregnancy is doing.
"What pregnancy?"
"Gladys is pregnant with my baby".
"And you never thought of that before you slept with that dirty thing?".
He hissed and clenched his fist by his side.
The old woman sighed and shook her head.
"She lost the pregnancy".
"What?".
"The motorcyclist hit her badly. He hit her so badly that he carried her and threw her away. She was even lucky to be alive. Otherwise, they could have labelled you a murderer".
He sat dejectedly at the news on one side of the dusty road and tears manufactured themselves to his eyes.
"What have I done", he cried, holding his head with both hands.
"It will be difficult for her to accept you. Whatever ties both of you together has now been broken. It is best you let her go. She has suffered enough".
"No! I can't leave her! I will never leave her even if she doesn't want to see me again".
With that, he stood up, wiped his eyes and continued his journey.
Thank for visiting. Till I come your way next time, I am yours truly,
Julius Topohozin.
